Read Online Evvie at Sixteen by Susan Beth Pfeffer - Free Book Online Page B

year, I’m Sam Greene. No, that isn’t right, either. I’m Sammy Greene. They call me Sammy there.”
    â€œAnd here they call you Sam,” Evvie said. “What are the other complications?”
    â€œThat isn’t complicated enough for you?” Sam asked.
    â€œAre you kidding,” Evvie said. “Nicky calls Megs Daisy. All her friends call her Meg. And Aunt Grace insists on calling her Margaret. And we’re the only ones who call him Nicky. Everybody else calls him Nick, except for Megs. She calls him Nicholas. Sammy Sam doesn’t scare me at all.”
    â€œAll right, Evvie Eve,” Sam said. “Are you ready for ice cream?”
    â€œI’m always ready for ice cream,” Evvie replied. They picked up their plates and cups and threw them out as they left. Then they walked the block to the ice cream stand, stood on line, and placed their orders.
    â€œWe were discussing complications,” Evvie declared as they sat under a tree to eat their cones. “What other ones are there besides your names?”
    â€œThey’re not bad complications,” Sam said. “Look, I’m lucky, and I know it. I could have gotten lost years ago, thrown out with the garbage. Instead I’m surrounded by people who love me. I’m not a fool. I know how bad things could have been.”
    â€œAll right,” Evvie said. “It must be complicated, though, living with two sets of grandparents. Are you two different people?”
    â€œThat’s a funny question,” Sam said. “Why? Should I be?”
    Evvie shook her head. “My family moves around a lot,” she replied. “It’s hard to explain. Nicky’s sort of a wheeler-dealer. When his deals work out, we go up in the world, move to a better place, live really well. When his deals fall through, then we move to someplace not so nice and stay there until he can get another deal going. But no matter where we are, he’s always the same person.”
    â€œAre you?” Sam asked. “From place to place?”
    â€œI think so,” Evvie said. “Yes, I am. Are you?”
    Sam took a bite out of his cone. “I’m not certain,” he said. “But no, I’m probably different people there and here. Different name, different person.”
    â€œI like Sam Steinmetz,” Evvie said. “What’s Sammy Greene like?”
    â€œThat’s the funny thing,” Sam replied. “Everyone likes Sammy. I’m really a very successful person back there.”
    â€œBack there,” Evvie said. “Or back home?”
    â€œYou live in two separate places, have two separate lives, you don’t really have a home,” Sam replied. He got up, and threw out the remains of his ice cream. “Things are too divided. My grandparents can’t stand each other. This nine months there, three months here is a custody arrangement. Neither set wants me to be too much like the other, so when I’m with the Greenes, I have to be just like them, and when I’m with the Steinmetzes, I have to be just like them. Sometimes I get very bad headaches.”
    â€œBut you do it,” Evvie said. “You play your parts.”
    â€œI don’t have many options,” Sam replied. “You know, I’ve told you more about me than I’ve ever told anybody else before. Why is that?”
    â€œYou told Aunt Grace we were going to be married,” Evvie said. “I have a right to know all about you.”
    â€œI had to tell her something,” Sam said. “I didn’t hear you accept my proposal.”
    â€œI’m not about to,” Evvie said. “My parents fell in love the minute they laid eyes on each other, and by that night, they knew they were going to be married. Megs was sixteen then, just like me.”
    â€œI didn’t realize I’d stumbled into a family tradition,” Sam said.
    â€œIt’s theirs, not